TNAG-0601-FCO40-749-Capital-punishment-in-Dependent-Territories-1977 — Page 76

Mr Rushford

RUSHFORD

HKG 380/1

RECE

51

CONFIDENTIAL

13 OCT 1977

DESK O.. INDEX

RY

otion Taken

No

MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

1.

Unfortunately you will not be in the Office before I leave for

Hong Kong.

2. The change in the brief for the Secretary of State which now effectively contradicts the advice given to the Official Group on Capital Punishment concerning the possibility of an informal removal of the power to exercise the Prerogative of Mercy in the cases of the Governors of Montserrat, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos has put us in a slightly embarrassing position.

3. I think we must tell the Lord Chancellor's Office and the Law Officers of this change in the advice before they complete their briefing for their Ministers for the meeting of the Ministerial Group tomorrow, Thursday, 13 October. I do not have the legal competence properly to explain this change in advice and I should be most grateful if you could contact Messrs de Winton (Law Officers) and Webb (Lord Chancellor's Office) and explain the reasons for the change to them.

12 October 1977

CC:

Mr Stratton

Mr Qugh the

Winton

As

requested

f.a.ß.

Steunt

J A B Stewart

Hong Kong & General Dept

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CONFIDENTIAL

espied to In Witson.

A.R.R.

12.10.

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